Roster Updates

Feb. 6, 2025 — Legal Aid Alberta and you, our roster, have a shared commitment to delivering quality counsel to clients. In order to meet our shared obligations to clients, Legal Aid Certificates, or substantive work on Legal Aid Certificates, cannot be reassigned without the consent of both the client and LAA. This includes certificates for duty counsel shifts. 

This is important for two reasons: 

• Respecting clients’ choice of counsel: When a client requests a certain lawyer to act on their matter, they have a reasonable expectation that, if they are assigned that lawyer, this is who will be acting for them. The same expectation applies after an individual counsel has been assigned.  

• Ensuring quality counsel: A lawyer’s status with LAA is private and you may not be aware of the status a lawyer you wish to assign work to has with LAA. 

Please note that Sections 16-18 of Administrative Policy 5 (below) allow for agency appearances for minor things like adjournments and consented applications. But, for all substantive matters, it is LAA’s expectation that the lawyer assigned to the matter will personally complete the substantive work on the certificate.  

In some instances, certificates may be reassigned to alternate counsel either within or external to the original lawyer’s firm, but this requires consent of both the client and LAA. 

We thank our current roster counsel for continuing to raise the bar on quality of counsel and doing what is best for the legal interests of our shared clients.  

Sections 16-18 of Administrative Policy 5 

16. When a certificate is issued, it shall be issued to:  

a. an individual lawyer on a Legal Aid Alberta roster; or  

b. a staff law office.  

17. The lawyer or staff law office to whom a certificate is issued is responsible to ensure that:  

a. the identified lawyer or staff law office provides the legal services for which the certificate was issued;  

b. the quality of the legal services is acceptable to Legal Aid Alberta;  

c. there is full compliance with any conditions or restrictions relating to:  

i.) the legal services to be provided; and  

ii.) the disposition of funds or property received during the course of the matter;  

d. Legal Aid Alberta is advised of any material change, which comes to the attention of the lawyer or staff law office, in the client’s financial situation, the progress of the client’s matter or any other change that could affect the client’s continued eligibility for Legal Aid Alberta legal services; and  

e. the lawyer or staff law office complies with Legal Aid Alberta Rules, Policies and Procedures in the delivery of the legal services.  

18. Nothing in sections 16 or 17 prevents the lawyer from obtaining minor assistance in the provision of legal services from other lawyers or staff within that lawyer’s office.